Fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i C. MALIPHANT.

. FIRE B'SGAPB. g No. 284,871. Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No- Model.)

0. MALIPHANT.

FIRE ESGAPEK Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

INVENTOR: WW/wmQ/ WITNESSES 6, [Ed/Maw ATTORNEYS.

my improvement, illustrating its use.

UNrrnn STATES ATENT FFICE.

CHARLES MALIPHANT, OF NEW BRIGHTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND GEORGECLARK, OF TOMPKINSVILLE, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,871, datedSeptember 11, 1883.

(No modl 1.)

To all whom, it Indy concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FIALIPHANT, of New Brighton, in the countyof Richmond and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a perspective view of Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a frontelevation of one of the carriages. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a side elevationof the same, partly in section.- Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a plan view of apart of the same, the way being shown in section. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is aperspective view of the driving'mechanism.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the removal of people fromburning buildings and promote convenience in operating and controllingthe fire-escape.

The invention consists in a fire-escape constructed with two carriagessuspended from a single rope passing over guidepulleys at the upper partof the building and around a grooved drum at the lower part of thebuilding, the said carriages moving up and down upon ways attached tothe building. The ways are connected with the building by bolts havingprojecting heads, and the carriage is connected with the hoisting-ropeby a pulley and a sliding rod held down by a spiral spring, and isprovided with springs recessed to receive and be raised by the neck ofthe hoisting-rod and projecting to come in contact with the projectingbolt-heads and stop the descent of the said carriage should it bereleased by the breaking of the hoisting-rope. The carriage is providedwith an upper platform and an upwardly-projecting ladder, so that peoplecan be taken from the roof of the building, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed.

In vertical channels'in the building are secured wooden bars A, to whichare attached by screws or bolts 13 T-shaped iron bars 0, to serve asways for the carriages to move up and down upon. The heads of the screwsB project, for the purpose hereinafter described. The bar 0 fits into aT- groove in the rear side of the upright bar D, to which, at a littledistance from its lower end, is attached a platform, E, provided with arailing, F.

To the'upper part of the bar D is attached the rear edge of a smallplatform or roof, G, the forward part of which is supported by rods H,attached to the platform E. The platform E is made of such a length thatits end parts will overlap adjacent windows, so ,that people can pass tothe said platform E from two windows at the same time.

To the forward part of the platform E is attached the lower end of theladder I, which passes up through an opening in the platform G andprojects upward to such a height that when the platform E is at thelevel of the sills of the upper windows of the building the up* per partof the ladder I will be in such a position that people from the roof ofthe build ing eanpass down the said ladder to the plat form E. The upperend of the ladder I is strengthened in position by braces J, attached tothe said ladder and to the platform G.

K is the hoisting-rope, the ends of which are secured to the upper partof the building, and which passes around the pulleys L, pivoted to theupper ends of the rods llI. The rods .M pass down through holes in therear parts of the platforms G E, and have nuts 1 screwed upon theirlower ends below the said platforms E. The rods M are made longer thanthe spaces between the platforms E G, and up on them are placed spiralsprings N, the up per ends of which rest against the lower sides of theplatforms G, and their lower ends rest against collars 0, formed upon orsecured to the said rods M, so that the weight of the carriages whilebeing raised and lowered will rest upon the said springs N.

To the rear end parts of the platform G are attached the outer ends oftwo springs, P, the inner parts of the inner ends of which are recessedto receive the upper part of the rod M and rest up on ashoulder orcollar formed upon or attached to the said rod. The inner ends of thesprings l are widened, so that their outer edges will be close to theface of the T- the descent of the carriages, the said springs P beingmade sufliciently strong to support the carriages and their loads. Whenthe carriages are supported by the hoisting-rope K, the weight of thesaid carriages compresses the springs N, causing the rods M to moveupward and raising the inner ends of the springs 1, as shown in Figs. 2,3, and 4, so that they will pass the heads of the bolts B without comingin contact with the said bolt-heads. From the pulleys L thehoisting-rope K passes over ihe guide-pulleys Q, pivoted to supportsattached to the upper part of the building, and its middle part passesdownward to and around the drum R, which is pivoted to a boX, S, a frameor other support secured to the building above the doorway, or in anydesired or convenient position. The drum R has a zigzag groove, R,formed in it to receive the rope K and prevent the said rope fromslipping.

To the end of the drum R is attached a gearwheel, T, into the teeth ofwhich mesh the teeth of the gear-wheel U, pivoted to the box S or othersupport for the drum R. To the gear-wheel U is attached a drum, V, whichhas a zigzag groove, V, formed in it to receive the endless rope W andprevent the said rope from slipping. Theendless ropeW may hang free, asshown in Fig. 1., or its lower part may pass around a fixed pulley or aweighted pulley to keep the said rope straight. \Vhen the carriages arecomparatively light, the gear-wheels T U and the drum V can be omittedand the traction-rope W placed in .a second zigzag groove, R in the drumR. \Vith this construction the carriages D E will be raised and loweredalternately, and either carriage can be stopped opposite the windows ofany desired story of the building.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with T-bars adapted to be attached to a building, of carriages having T-groovesin their rear sides, a grooved drum placed at the lower part of thebuilding, and a hoisting-rope passing over pulleys at the upper part ofthe building and over the said grooved drum, substantially as hereinshown and described.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the building, of the T-barsO, the two carriages D E, having T-grooves in their rear sides, thesingle hoisting rope K, the guide-pulleys Q, and the drum R, havingzigzag groove R, substantially as herein shown and described, wherebythe carriages will be raised and lowered alternately by operating thesaid drum, as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the carriage D E, thehoisting-rope K, and the waiys 0, having projecting bolt-heads B, of thepn ley L, the rod M, the spring N, and the stopsprings P, havingrecessed inner ends, substantially as herein shown and described,whereby the said carriage will be stopped and held should thehoisting-rope break, as set forth.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the carriage D E, of thesecond platform, G, and the upwardly-projecting ladder I, substantiallyas herein shown and described, whereby people can be taken from the roofof the build ing, as set forth.

CHARLES MALIPHANT. W'itnesses:

.TAMEs T. GRAHAM, EDGAR TATE.

